Projects

What patterns of visual motion are intrinsically tied to motor action, in ways that make them a useful control signal for locomotor behavior?

This project aims to experimentally explore and characterize patterns of retinal optic flow that are generated by eyes moving over terrain during highly controlled, goal-oriented behavior. Experiments use Virtual Reality, Eye Tracking, and Full-body Motion Capture to study and control visual stimulation, while measuring corresponding locomotor action.

How is the visual-locomotor system shaped by  agent, environment, and task constraints?

This project observes visual-locomotor behavior such as eye movements, foot placements, and path finding in natural environments (e.g., rocky creeks, hiking trails, constructed staircases, rolling hills). Primarily relying on mobile eye tracking, these quasi-observational experiments aim to measure emergent, information-driven relationships between humans and their environments. 

How does information move through groups of humans (collectives) in gamified experimental environments?

While the majority of ViLoN projects are focused on the visual-motor information, it is the overarching goal of the lab to understand the flow of information in complex systems; spanning visual-locomotor navigation, crowds and swarms, and collective behavior more generally. In this project, 15-20 participants play a computer game where the majority of the players don't know how the game is played -- with only the ability to emote and move as communication. We measure patterns of emergent communication and information transfer to understand how initially ambiguous information spreads through collective systems. We then construct agent-based models that allow us to form and test hypotheses of individual behavior, comparing simulated game-outcomes to observed behavioral ones.